icon Malta Gaming Authority

You might also see the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) logo at the bottom of some casino homepages. While Malta is only a small country, its reputation is big in the online gambling world. Many of the biggest sites around are licenced in Malta and the MGA is well-known for providing robust and effective regulation of sites registered with them. You might often find that the MGA is used to regulate a site alongside the UK Gambling Commission, meaning that there’s a double layer of protection for all players. It should be noted that sites only regulated by the MGA should not be accepting UK players though. The Malta Gaming Authority was established back in 2001, so it is one of the older names within the gambling industry (for comparison, the UK Gambling Commission was only established in 2007). This age ensures that it has the experience, as well as the necessary safeguards in place, to ensure your time playing at an MGA-regulated online casino is a safe and fair one. If you have any issues with an MGA site, you can contact them by emailing [email protected]. If you have a complaint about a casino, you are instead encouraged to fill out this online form.

icon Gambling Supervision Commission (Isle of Man)

Next comes the Gambling Supervision Commission, based in the Isle of Man. You might think that an organisation based in such as a small place as the Isle of Man would be insignificant, however, due to tax reasons, many of the world’s biggest casino names choose to register themselves in the country. This means that they have to be licenced and regulated by the Gambling Supervision Commission. It should be noted that, while the Isle of Man is a British Crown Dependency, it has no affiliation with the UK Gambling Commission. The Gambling Supervision Commission is known to offer extremely effective regulation, ensuring that all sites operating under them are fair and safe. If a site does not meet their strict requirements, they will have no problem revoking their licence straightaway. This would make it extremely difficult for the site in question to attract more players and if it happened to a site we’d reviewed, we would certainly not recommend it to you. To email the Gambling Supervision Commission, you should use this online form. Alternatively, you can phone them by dialling +44 1624 694331.

icon Alderney Gambling Control Commission

Alderney is perhaps the smallest place to have a gambling regulatory body, but don’t be deceived by its size. This is because the Alderney Gambling Control Commission is a very strong organisation. An example of their ability to stand up to the big gambling names is the fact that they stripped Full Tilt Poker of its licence when the site was adjudged to have treated players unfairly. The fact that the Alderney Gambling Control Commission has been around since way back in 2000 should also assure you that they’re a reputable and capable organisation. The main reason why so many gambling companies base themselves in Alderney is simple: it’s because of the low taxes. This is a common theme amongst all smaller jurisdictions. The Alderney Gambling Control Commission still has exceedingly robust procedures in place though and it is really easy for a player to get in contact with them. You can either email them via [email protected] or via this contact form. Alternatively, you can call them on +44 1481 825500.

icon Government of Gibraltar

Gibraltar is yet another small area (do you see the recurring theme here?) and it is one of the remote gambling world’s hotbeds. This is because many different gambling companies are headquartered in Gibraltar. Those licenced in Gibraltar are licenced under the Gambling Act 2005, which is a document setting out strict requirements for gambling companies. If you see that a site is licenced and regulated in Gibraltar, you can be absolutely sure that the site in question is an incredibly safe and fair one. Please remember that Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory, however the regulatory body in Gibraltar is not associated with the UK Gambling Commission. You will often find that both organisations are active in regulating the same site though. If you need to contact this organisation, we would suggest emailing them, which can be done by messaging [email protected]. If you are submitting a complaint, make sure you complete and attach this form.

icon Curacao Internet Gambling Association

The final licencing body to mention is the Curacao Internet Gambling Association. We have been very positive about the other names on this list, however please do not expect the Curacao Internet Gambling Association to meet the same standards. While they’re a regulatory body in name, they don’t really implement any type of regulation. This means that those playing at sites licenced in Curacao are not protected very well. We would therefore not advise playing at a site solely regulated in Curacao. You should be safe if another organisation regulates the site alongside the Curacao Internet Gambling Commission though. If you want to contact the Curacao Internet Gambling Commission, you can do so by emailing [email protected] or by phoning +599 9736 0631. Please do not expect to receive a prompt reply though, and also don’t be surprised if your complaint is not investigated in as much depth as you are hoping for.